As part of an initiative to launch the country’s first electric train service, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a project to install an electric traction system on the Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur railway route.

The project was approved at an ECNEC meeting held on Wednesday (September 16). Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman presided over the meeting.

Under the project, an electric traction or overhead catenary system will be installed along 52.32 kilometres of railway track on the Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur route. The project has an estimated cost of Tk 38.2251 billion and is planned to be implemented between July 2026 and June 2031.

The project will include the procurement of 16 sets of five-car Electric Multiple Units (EMUs). A modern workshop will also be constructed in Joydebpur for maintaining the electric trains, along with the installation of necessary electrical infrastructure.

Of the total project cost, Tk 9.4209 billion is planned to come from government funds, while Tk 28.8042 billion will be financed through project loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Meanwhile, three metro rail projects were also approved at Wednesday’s ECNEC meeting. These are the MRT Line-5 Southern Route, MRT Line-1 and MRT Line-5 Northern Route. Two of these are revised proposals, while one is a new project.

Once implemented, the electric train project will mark the beginning of electricity-powered train operations by Bangladesh Railway. Officials expect the project to increase rail transport capacity along the busy Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur corridor while reducing dependence on diesel, fuel costs and carbon emissions.